Private Kitchen workshops
Family Night · Team Building · Birthdays · Socials
Location Of Classes
All in-person chocolate making classes will be hosted at ZEST food hub at 1142 4 Ave SW, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1T1.
Chocolate With Geoseph Is Moving Summer 2024
Please Contact me directly to book a class!
Costs & Types Of Classes
Cost for all classes are the same. Price depends on number of guests (see below) or any special requests.
+ Costs
Costs are **per person ** and on a sliding scale depending on the number of people. **Tax not included. **
2 people: $139
3 people: $109
4-5 people: $89
6-9 people: $69
10+ people: $49
Children under 8 at a reduced cost. Please inquire.
+ Duration
Most classes are around 2-3 hours, but this can be adjusted. Larger classes normally require a bit more time than a few people. If you have a specific time-frame in mind (either shorter or longer) let me know when you book. I'm happy to accoomdate if I can.
+ Cusotomize?
Yes, it is possible to customize a class with specific tasks, time frame, and so forth. Contact me and tell me what you sort of class or budget you were looking for.
+ Dietary Requests
I can accommodate requests for no gluten, no nuts, and no dairy for most classes. Please inquire if you have questions. Keep in mind we will use a kitchen that does process products containing wheat, nuts, and other ingredients, so I cannot guarantee no traces of allergens.
I do not to use any “natural”/artificial flavourings or colouring agents. To add colour, I prefer using colourful ingredients such as dried fruits and other real ingredients.
All classes include you taking home the finished products. If you wish to know more of how much you’ll be taking home, feel free to contact me to ask!
Chocolate Making & Mini Tasting
Making Real Chocolate From The Bean!
+ What's involved?
We will sort, roast, and winnow (remove the shell), grind up, fairly traded high quality cocoa beans. A chocolate stone-grinder/refiner will be used to grind up the cocoa beans and make fresh chocolate! Everyone will get a chance to add some nibs and sugar to the refiner and watch it turn into a wondeful sticky mess.
While it's grinding, we will have a mini tasting of various fine dark chocolate products. After this we will taste our ground up chocolate and Geoseph will perform a demo tempering on a granite slab.
Due to the length of the class (and the fact that true chocolate making requires days to complete) the resulting chocolate will be a more rustic version - something similar people would have enjoyed hundreds or thousands of years ago. Chocolate normally takes 2-4 days of grinding (24 hours a day). The flavour of this chocoalte will be more powerful (but not bitter).
Everyone will get to take about 100g of fresh dark chocolate home with them to eat, use in hot chocolate or even baking.
What you will do:
- We will sort and roast some fine raw cocoa beans
- You will get a chance to shell them and taste them
- You will get a chance to add shelled cocoa nibs to the refiner with a bit of sugar
- Take part in a tasting of various chocolates/cacao products/ingredients to better understand the process of how chocolate is made.
+ About the ingredients
The chocolate we make will be 100% plant-based/vegan, gluten-free, and nut free. However, keep in mind that I cannot guarantee no traces of nuts, gluten, or dairy from the kitchen or from the source ingredients.
The samples for the tasting will relove around dark chocolate and cacao products that are free of nuts/gluten. Some will contain dairy unless you request otherwise.
Chocolate Figurines
+ What's involved?
We will have fun learing how to temper chocolate (people will take turns helping Geoseph temper). Then we will use the chocolate to cast fun molds. We will assemble them and then spray them with more chocolate to give it a nice finish.
We will also make a few basic truffles to hide inside the figurines.
What you will do:
- Help Geoseph Temper
- Cast your own molds and assemble them
- Spray your molds
+ Types of Figurines
Some figurines are much larger, and so there is an additional cost added.
- Pear
- Coffee mug and saucer
- High Heel Shoe
- Champagne Bottle (add $10)
- Bass Fish
- Large sea shell
- Decorative Dish with lid
- Custome ideas (let me know if you have other ideas in mind)
+ About the ingredients
You have the option to use either dark or milk chocolate for this. If you are concerned about ingredients in the chocolate, reach out to ask, or ask me when you book.
For the truffles we will use cream and butter. If you prefer no dairy, please let me know when you book.
Hand-rolled Truffles & Mini Tasting
Traditional Chocolate Ganache Truffles. Hand-rolled. Great for beginners.
+ What's involved?
We will make 2 different kinds of chocolate truffles. These are quite simple yet delicious ganache truffles that will be finished by hand rolling. If you wish to do more than two types, we can, but it will add to the cost and may add to the length of time. In the middle of the class we will also have a mini educational tasting while we wait for our ganache to set.
+ About the ingredients
The ganache will use cream and butter, or a non-dairy substitute if you wish. Be sure to make note of this in the reservation form. The substitution can be for specific individuals or the entire group depending on your preference.
Ganaches by default contain dairy, but we can replace this with other options.
Ganaches will not contain gluten (unless you wish to add a gluten-containing ingredient), and they will also not contain nuts unless you request to have nuts. However, keep in mind that I cannot guarantee no traces of nuts, gluten, or dairy from the kitchen or from the source ingredients.
+ How many truffles do we make?
Each person will make rougly 1 dozen rolled truffles per flavour. We can make more if you wish, but there will be an additional cost. Please inquire.
+ What flavours/types can we do?
It is almost endless. Please feel free to request specific flavours, and I can see if I can accommodate that. Here are some ideas:
- Simple dark chocolate ganache
- Ganache infused with spices (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, pepper, etc.)
- Ganache infused with herbs (basil, mint, etc.)
- Coffee or Tea infused ganache
- Citrus zests (Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit)
- Fruit puree or juice based ganaches
- Spicy/chili
- Others (feel free to suggest ideas when you book)
Filled bonbons or truffles
Soft ganaches with hard chocolate shells.
+ What's involved?
We will make bonbons or truffles in a design you choose. We will make shells for bonbons, or fill pre-made shells for truffles. You will make a ganache, fill the shells, cap them, and finish them.
If you see a design here you like, let me know. Keep in mind these days I no longer uses cocoa butter colours. I prefer to use friends/nuts to add colour to the chocolate.
+ About the ingredients
The dark chocolate used is plant-based/vegan. The milk chocolate will contain dairy. Groups or individuals can have plant-based/vegan dark chocolate only if they wish.
Depending on which ingredients you wish to use, the ingredients can also very easily be gluten-free and nut-free. However, keep in mind that I cannot guarantee no traces of nuts, gluten, or dairy from the kitchen or from the source ingredients.
+ What flavours/types can we do?
It is almost endless. Please feel free to request specific flavours, and I can see if I can accommodate that. Here are some ideas:
- salted caramel
- spices
- fruits
- nuts
- herb/coffee/spice infused
Solid Chocolates & Bars
Tempering Chocolate To Make Simple palettes/solid chocolates with various inclusions.
+ What's involved?
I will show you how to temper, and explain what to look for and any trouble shooting. The group will be able to interact and ask questions as I temper. This is a method than can be repeated in your kitchen at home.
We will use this tempered chocolate to make your own little chocolate palettes (disks) or solid chocolates. We will sprinkle various dried fruits, seeds, or nuts (depending on your preference). Everyone will go home with at least two dozen palettes or small solid chocolates.
+ About the ingredients
The dark chocolate used is plant-based/vegan. The milk chocolate will contain dairy. Groups or individuals can have plant-based/vegan dark chocolate only if they wish.
Depending on which ingredients you wish to use, the ingredients can also very easily be gluten-free and nut-free. However, keep in mind that I cannot guarantee no traces of nuts, gluten, or dairy from the kitchen or from the source ingredients.
+ What flavours/types can we do?
It is almost endless. Please feel free to request specific flavours, and I can see if I can accommodate that. Here are some ideas:
- Simple plain or milk chocolate molded into bars/bonbon shapes
- Sprinkling of dried fruits
- Sprinkling of nuts/seeds
- Sprinkling of spices/dried herbs/salt
Dragee
Chocolate Covered Nuts
+ What's involved?
We will learn how to make a rustic dragee, which is chocolate covered nuts, but in a method that you can repeat at home. It will require tempering the chocolate we will use as well.
I will do a demo on how to candy the nuts. We will do two separate batches of nuts. Normally I use almonds, but please inquire if you wish to use other types.
+ What flavours/types can we do?
It is almost endless. Please feel free to request specific flavours, and I can see if I can accommodate that. Here are some ideas:
- Plain dark or milk chocolate covered nuts
- Spiced chocolate covered nuts
- Chocolate covered coffee beans, dried fruit, etc. are other options
Chocolate Salami
A fun Italian classic made out of chocolate, cookies, dried fruits, and nuts.
+ What's involved?
You will learn how to make a fun confection made in countries like Italy and Portugal. Each person will make two chocolate salami's in two different flavours. The product looks like a salami, but no meat is required! The chocolate salami includes ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, and cookies.
+ About the ingredients
The chocolate used will be dark chocolate, and so will also be plant-based/vegan.
Other ingredients used includes cookies, dried fruits, and nuts.
Gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan options available. However, keep in mind that I cannot guarantee no traces of nuts, gluten, or dairy from the kitchen or from the source ingredients.